ESPN - NEW YORK -- Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been banned for life by the NBA in response to racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he will try to force the controversial owner to sell his franchise. Sterling has also been fined $2.5 million, and Silver made no effort to hide his outrage over the comments.

"I fully expect to get the support I need from the other NBA owners I need to remove him," Silver said.

Silver said a league investigation found the NBA's longest-tenured owner was in fact the person on the audiotapes that were released over the weekend.

"We stand together in condemning Mr. Sterling's views," Silver said. "They simply have no place in the NBA."

Sterling acknowledged he was the man on the tape, Silver said.

Sterling is immediately barred from attending any NBA games or practices, being present at any Clippers office or facility, or participating in any business or player personnel decisions involving the team. He also cannot participate in any league business going forward.

It's unclear how Sterling will respond, and a lawsuit certainly seems possible.

"This league is far bigger than any one owner, any one coach and any one player," Silver said.

There really isn't much left to say on this story, but I wanted to get a post in on it following the news today. Impressive move on the part of Adam Silver here. Obviously a big statement needed to be made here with this insane bigot, and forcing him out of a job is pretty much the biggest move possible for the NBA.

Now I know he's still going to come out with millions upon millions when all is said and done and the court room visits have been made, but in terms of showing the public that your organization won't tolerate views like Sterling's, this is as much as we could hope for I guess. It really is just a shame it got to this point with this asshole, as he's had a pretty substantial history of blatant racism.

But for the moment, nice work Adam Silver. You may look like Skeletor and sound like a nerd, but for your first huge controversy as commissioner you stepped up and made a strong statement against intolerance.

P.S. Sterling's girl is not hot, okay? I've heard outlandish statements being thrown around that this chick is sexy and she's just not. Like a 7 to 8 body and a low 4 face. She's the definition of dirty/sexy 80-year-old-man-charming gold-digger. I mean, yeah, I'm glad this guy got exposed and all, but this woman is the worst, and I'm sick of her getting any sort of credit for being attractive.